Les Bowen

STAFF WRITER

Les Bowen has covered the Eagles since 2002. Before that, he covered the Flyers for 13 years. He came to the Daily News from the Charlotte Observer in May 1983, just as the Sixers were winning the NBA championship. He thought, "Gosh, this sort of thing must happen all the time here."

UPDATED: In case you are an Eagles fan in the Bay Area, you can't watch Sunday's game on local television. The game will be blacked out because the Oakland Coliseum was not sold out by the deadline. Just another sign of how the once might franchise has fallen ...

EARLIER:

As the Eagles continue to develop their offensive weapons, there will be a spreading of the wealth.

DeSean Jackson, whose star continues to rise, is coming off a game in which he made one reception for 1 yard. That is the second least productive day statistically of his short career. (In a Dec. 7 game against the Giants last season in which he did not catch a pass.)

In case you were wondering, Jackson bounced back from that performance with a five-catch, 77-yard game against Cleveland.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said he did not expect Jackson to do anything different or try to force things coming off that performance.

"He just goes and plays," Reid said. "He does the same thing in practice. He does the same thing in games. He just enjoys playing the game and he does it fast, whether it’s in practice or in games. I wouldn’t expect that to change.”

And expect the Raiders to play plenty of attention to Jackson.

“I’m sure they will," Reid said. "I’m sure most teams will do that, just [based] on the start that he’s had and coming off of last year.”

* Reid said middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter is progressing in his reacclimation to football, after nearly a 2-year layoff.

"He's able to key and read and then attack -- I think he's doing that faster than he did last week," Reid said of Trotter, who will play the second game of his third Eagles tenure Sunday at Oakland. "I would anticipate that continues on. As long as his legs stay healthy like they are, and the swelling stays out of them, it's just gettting that reaction time back and trusting his indicators, and those kinds of things."

* Reid called corner Sheldon Brown, who has never missed a game at any level of football, "a legitimate tough guy." Brown practiced fully Thursday and Friday after suffering an abdominal strain against the Bucs. He is probable for Oakland.

*Reid hinted that when left guard Todd Herremans returns -- possibly as soon as next week's game at Washington --Nick Cole could move over and start on the right side, ahead of Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews, who currently are alternating there. Herremans got in a little scout team work Friday after working out on his own Wednesday and Thursday. Herremans said he hopes a Tuesday bone scan will green-light him for practice next week. "I'll rest it this weekend, then it should be raring, ready to go," he said.

* WR Kevin Curtis, questionable for Sunday with a knee problem, was scheduled to make the trip with the team. Reid said he thinks he sees progress from Curtis.

* DE/DT Darren Howard appeared on the injury report with a toe contusion. Reid said he decided not to have Howard practice Friday because the Eagles were working indoors, on artificial turf, which could aggravate the injury. Howard is probable for Sunday.

* The Eagles haven't played at the Raiders since Sept. 24, 1995, a 48-17 loss. The Birds are 0-2 at Oakland Coliseum.

* On Donovan McNabb's condition after taking some hits against the Bucs, in his return from missing two games with a broken rib, Reid said: "He was a little sore, not necessarily in the rib area alone, but sore from playing, on Monday. He’s worked through that and he feels pretty good.”

* On where Michael Vick stands, Reid said: “Every week he seems to get a little better and I guess you’d say get back in the swing of things. It was good to get him a few snaps in the base offense at the end of the last game. We did throw the ball there which I normally wouldn’t do, but I gave Mike that. He needed that work. He took [reps] both under center and from the shotgun; I thought that was good for him. It looks like he’s getting his speed all the way back now and he’s moving better. I think that really comes from dropping the pounds he’d put on and it looks like he’s playing pretty fast right now.”